Gale Makes Million Pound Mark
Australian Terry Gale joined an illustrious group of Members when he became the seventh player to pass the €1million mark in official career earnings on the European Seniors Tour.
Gale’s tied 15th place and €7,209 prize cheque at the Irish Seniors Open in association with Failte Ireland and Allied Irish Bank took his overall winnings to €1,003,674. He joins, in order, Tommy Horton, Noel Ratcliffe, Carl Mason, Nick Job, Jim Rhodes and Denis O’Sullivan as the only players to pass the milestone on the Seniors Tour since its inception in 1992. The 62 year old, who is the second Australian after Ratcliffe to join the group, has seven Seniors Tour victories to his name – the first arriving in his rookie season at the 1996 PGA Seniors Championship and the last at the 2005 Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open. He admitted he was relieved to finally pass the €1million mark after fearing he was stuck in the “nervous” €990,000s since last season. Gale said: “I should have passed it last year really but I didn’t have a good season. I feel like I have been in the €990,000s for ages! I thought this year I would pass it but I thought I might have done it a few weeks ago after playing in Poland, and Jersey, and Wales. I think I handled the conditions better in Ireland as I think I got used to links courses.
“It is only a figure – some of these young guys win €1million in a week – but it’s still a nice thing to achieve. I think I was in front of Denis O’Sullivan and Nick Job for a while but I think they played better than I did last year and did it before me. “The others who have done it are better players than me by a long way. You look at Tommy Horton, who dominated the Seniors Tour in its early stage, and Carl Mason who dominated it in recent years. I started well winning the PGA Seniors in my first year and it’s something nice to say I’ve done but I’ve got to work out whether I’ve spent €1million getting there! I won’t lead the Order of Merit but I’ve sure I could lead an Order of Merit on air fares and distances covered. “It’s been great though. I’ve very appreciative of the opportunity I’ve had on the European Seniors Tour. I’ve made a lot of friends on this Tour.” Gale said the highlight of his 13 years on the Seniors Tour was the 2003 season when he finished third in the Order of Merit, behind winner Carl Mason and runner-up Bill Longmuir. He said: “I was lucky enough to win in Monte Carlo in 2002 but the year that was the highlight really was 2003, as I won in Barbados, Tobago and Scotland and finished third overall. I was 56 then and there was a time I thought I’d missed my best years but then I had a great year so that was probably the highlight for me.” Japan’s Seiji Ebihara is next in line to pass the €1million mark, lying eighth in the all time Seniors Tour career prize money list with current earnings of €982,030. A good season for 2002 Ryder Cup winning Captain Sam Torrance could also see the Scot join Gale in the exclusive group. The 2005 and 2006 Order of Merit winner currently has career earnings of €924,492 on the Seniors Tour.
Gale’s tied 15th place and €7,209 prize cheque at the Irish Seniors Open in association with Failte Ireland and Allied Irish Bank took his overall winnings to €1,003,674. He joins, in order, Tommy Horton, Noel Ratcliffe, Carl Mason, Nick Job, Jim Rhodes and Denis O’Sullivan as the only players to pass the milestone on the Seniors Tour since its inception in 1992. The 62 year old, who is the second Australian after Ratcliffe to join the group, has seven Seniors Tour victories to his name – the first arriving in his rookie season at the 1996 PGA Seniors Championship and the last at the 2005 Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open. He admitted he was relieved to finally pass the €1million mark after fearing he was stuck in the “nervous” €990,000s since last season. Gale said: “I should have passed it last year really but I didn’t have a good season. I feel like I have been in the €990,000s for ages! I thought this year I would pass it but I thought I might have done it a few weeks ago after playing in Poland, and Jersey, and Wales. I think I handled the conditions better in Ireland as I think I got used to links courses.
“It is only a figure – some of these young guys win €1million in a week – but it’s still a nice thing to achieve. I think I was in front of Denis O’Sullivan and Nick Job for a while but I think they played better than I did last year and did it before me. “The others who have done it are better players than me by a long way. You look at Tommy Horton, who dominated the Seniors Tour in its early stage, and Carl Mason who dominated it in recent years. I started well winning the PGA Seniors in my first year and it’s something nice to say I’ve done but I’ve got to work out whether I’ve spent €1million getting there! I won’t lead the Order of Merit but I’ve sure I could lead an Order of Merit on air fares and distances covered. “It’s been great though. I’ve very appreciative of the opportunity I’ve had on the European Seniors Tour. I’ve made a lot of friends on this Tour.” Gale said the highlight of his 13 years on the Seniors Tour was the 2003 season when he finished third in the Order of Merit, behind winner Carl Mason and runner-up Bill Longmuir. He said: “I was lucky enough to win in Monte Carlo in 2002 but the year that was the highlight really was 2003, as I won in Barbados, Tobago and Scotland and finished third overall. I was 56 then and there was a time I thought I’d missed my best years but then I had a great year so that was probably the highlight for me.” Japan’s Seiji Ebihara is next in line to pass the €1million mark, lying eighth in the all time Seniors Tour career prize money list with current earnings of €982,030. A good season for 2002 Ryder Cup winning Captain Sam Torrance could also see the Scot join Gale in the exclusive group. The 2005 and 2006 Order of Merit winner currently has career earnings of €924,492 on the Seniors Tour.
posted by Robert Halter at 11:57 AM
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